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Watchdog tells Leveson: I can’t investigate everyone

Christopher Graham: no evidence that journalists were acting unlawfully

The privacy watchdog insisted today that he had no evidence that Fleet Street had been routinely accessing private information unlawfully .

Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, told the Leveson inquiry into press standards that he had seen no evidence of journalists using illegally accessed data since the watchdog prosecuted a private investigator in 2005.

He rejected suggestions that he should investigate companies that provide information such as ex-directory phone numbers even if there is nothing to suggest they are acting unlawfully.

“If we simply set out on a whole series of fishing expeditions we couldn’t cover the territory and I think it would be a misapplication of resources,” he said.

Mr Graham accused the inquiry of being in an “Alice in Wonderland meets Catch-22 world”…